Photo courtesy of MAF

Network of planes and clinics to serve medical needs in Mozambique

Torn by years of civil war, Mozambique's infrastructure has major problems. The World Bank is working with the country to improve matters, but change is coming slowly, reports MNN.

Ron Wismer, manager of research and operation support for Mission Aviation Fellowship, explained that "many bridges were destroyed during the war, and there's no money really to repair roads and so forth. The health system is pretty poor--particularly where we are working in the north."

Missionaries Dave LePoidevin and Dr. Pim de Lijster are working to change this situation through a “flying doctor service” called MozMed. It has now been operational for three months.

"The idea is to set up a clinic where a nurse can be trained and operate a clinic, and then when necessary, an airplane can come in and take them out," Wismer said. "The nurse would have the ability to understand, 'Ok, this is a triage situation where we can work on the person here, or we need to call the airplane and bring them to a more reference-type of hospital."

Currently, regular flights run on Mondays and Fridays, and pilots are always available for emergencies. Two pilots serve in Mozambique, and a third is preparing to begin service soon. MAF hopes to expand the program rapidly in the coming months.

"Eventually the whole plan would be to have three airplane bases and use those hospitals as reference hospitals for clinics in the outlying areas. So we could grow quite extensively in the next few years," Wismer said. "At the far end, we would look at having probably about five airplanes: another three airplanes and probably another five pilots, at least."

Those who are interested in being a part of this ministry can contact MAF. Medical personnel interested in short-term service in Zambia could help train the nurses for the clinics.

For now, MAF is able to obtain fuel for the Cessna piston airplanes. But, if that changes in the future, the ministry will have to stop using their current aircraft and use turbine driven planes like the Kodiak, which use jet fuel.

The lifespan of most Mozambicans is not much longer than 40 years. Christian ministry, however, can make an impact for the Gospel in a country with so many needs.

"We just pray that Dr. de Lijster and our MAF program will be able to come alongside the government," Wismer said. "Pray that we won't be viewed as being a para-government organization, but that we can actually work through them in order to provide health care service, with the understanding that we're doing it in Christ's name."

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TAGS: Mozambique civil war Mission Aviation Fellowship clinics Christian ministry

[07/22/2009]

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